SPIDER-MAN: 10 Characters We're NEVER Going To See In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

There's a lot of excitement surrounding the next Spider-Man movie, but there are some characters we're confident won't ever join Tom Holland's wall-crawler in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Check it out...

By JoshWilding - May 04, 2020 07:05 AM EST

Filed Under: Spider-Man

The third Spider-Man movie has been delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but excitement remains high for the web-slinger's next adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Peter Parker likely on the run after being framed for Mysterio's murder, Kraven the Hunter seems like the logical next choice of villain for the franchise.

Beyond that, though, there are some villains we're definitely not expecting to see in that movie, or in future solo adventures for Spidey set in this shared world. The same goes for certain love interests and supporting characters, and it's all of those we're taking a look at in this feature.

Delving into why it's unlikely that we'll ever see them either again or for the first time in a Spider-Man movie, we also look at the ways that could change and what the future does - or doesn't - hold in store for them. Honestly, we think you'll be surprised by many of the names here.

So, to find out who's made the cut, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!

10. The Lizard

The Lizard was The Amazing Spider-Man's lead villain, and Sony Pictures and Marc Webb dropped the ball on the character in a big way. A lot of what was there worked nicely, but his plan was generic and his appearance...well, that's still a point of ridicule among many fans!

Rebooting The Lizard would make perfect sense, especially if the next film is indeed going to feature Kraven the Hunter. However, Curt Connors is definitely a character who needs some screentime before becoming this monster, so it feels like the moment has passed now.

Moving forward, we could see The Lizard, but when it comes to rebooting villains we've already seen, something tells us The Lizard is likely near the bottom of the list in terms of priorities.

9. Captain George Stacy

Spider-Man 3 didn't do much with Captain George Stacy, and things got weird with the character in The Amazing Spider-Man. After begging Peter Parker to leave his daughter alone (so she would be protected from his alter-ego's enemies), the high school student decided to completely ignore his dying wish...mostly because Andrew Garfield's version of Peter was a major douche!

The plan was for some sort of serum to bring him back from the dead in The Amazing Spider-Man 3, and while it would definitely be fun to give Peter - a wanted murderer in the MCU - some sort of ally (or enemy) in the New York City police department, there are better choices than George Stacy.

Captain Yuri Watanabe, Jean DeWolff, and Carlie Cooper are all better possibilities if that is a direction Marvel Studios has decided to head in, so we're not expecting to see George for a long time.

8. Black Cat

This is really disappointing, but we find it very hard to imagine that Felicia Hardy is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe any time soon. Sony Pictures believe Black Cat has franchise potential (which is a valid point, to be fair), hence why she was set to star in Silver & Black before reportedly being given her own solo outing by the studio.

Felicia's relationship with Peter is equal parts compelling and complex, and the fact she's in love with Spider-Man and not the man beneath the mask would be fascinating to explore on screen.

If Sony abandons plans to give Black Cat her own movie, then we could potentially see her in Spider-Man 3, but with Sony banking so much on the SPUMC, we're not going to bank on that.

7. The Kingpin

When Wilson Fisk was first introduced, he was a Spider-Man villain. It's easy to forget that was the case seeing as The Kingpin has become synonymous with Daredevil, and that's also why Vincent D'Onofrio portrayed a terrifying version of the villain in the Man Without Fear's Netflix TV series.

Those characters look set to remain on the shelf for the foreseeable future, and given Kevin Feige's lack of involvement in those shows, it's unlikely he wants to bring the same actors back.

That's a great shame considering how great D'Onofrio was as The Kingpin, and the actor has expressed interest in facing Spider-Man multiple times. It's just unfortunate that his version comes with so much baggage, as that likely closes the door to a big screen debut as soon as Spider-Man 3.

6. Gwen Stacy

Both Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man movies included Gwen Stacy. An argument could be made that none of those films did the character justice, though Emma Stone's portrayal was pretty spot on, and she even died almost identically to her comic book counterpart.

Marvel Studios has already reinvented Mary Jane Watson as Zendaya's "MJ," so even if we do see Gwen, it's likely that she will be unrecognisable to fans. There were rumours she could appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home as a foreign exchange student, but that never ended up happening.

Now, with Peter romantically involved with MJ and Spider-Man having bigger problems than holding on to a girlfriend, we're not expecting to see Gwen outside of the Spider-Verse franchise for now.

5. Sandman

Much to the chagrin of, well, everyone, Spider-Man 3 revealed that Sandman murdered Uncle Ben. It was a daft, unnecessary decision, and one which soured the character in the eyes of many fans.

In Spider-Man: Far From Home, we were introduced to a number of Elementals, one of whom was clearly similar to Sandman. So, just like we're now not expecting to see the likes of Hydro-Man and Molten Man in the MCU after they were portrayed as interdimensional invaders in that sequel, it's hard to believe we're now going to see Sandman in a future Spider-Man adventure.

That will disappoint those hoping to see him potentially assemble with the rest of the Sinister Six, but is anyone really crying out for another version of Sandman in the web-slinger's world at this point?

4. Miles Morales

The existence of Miles Morales was teased in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but there's been no sign of him since. If he was going to be introduced, it surely would have been after that five-year time-jump; instead, there was no mention of the hero in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and given the success of the animated Spider-Verse franchise, we're not anticipating seeing him in live-action.

That's a crazy decision, but why would Sony Pictures gift Marvel Studios another Spider-Man? If anything, they will more than likely want to use him in a spinoff series of their own at some point.

It's a shame because there's so much that could have been done with the Peter/Miles relationship in the MCU, but there are still more stories to tell with the current web-slinger, so Spider-Man 3 - or Spider-Man 4 - are unlikely to replace him just yet. Could it happen one day? Maybe, but we doubt it.

3. Green Goblin

Look, we're as desperate as you guys to see Norman Osborn in the MCU, and Avengers Tower being revealed as Oscorp would be, well, spectacular. However, given the tenuous relationship between Disney and Sony Pictures (which nearly fell apart last year), can you imagine how disastrous it would have been to include an Oscorp Easter Egg in Spider-Man: Far From Home?

After all, had they not worked things out, it wouldn't have ever gone anywhere. Throw in the fact that Green Goblin has been done across two different franchises, and it's doubtful we'll see him again.

There are ways to differentiate this version of Norman Osborn from the ones we've seen on screen before now, and having him lead the Sinister Six would be no bad thing. However, we're not banking on it at this point, and a rebooted Doctor Octopus actually seems more realistic now.

2. Electro

When Jamie Foxx was cast as Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, we all expected big things from the electrically powered baddie. After all, an Oscar-winner was playing him, but what we ended up with was a baddie who wouldn't have been out of place in Batman & Robin.

Everything about him was terrible, though Electro's popularity hasn't diminished as he's continued to appear both in video games and the comic books (where he's now been replaced by a woman).

Regardless of who is beneath the mask, there's only so much which can be done with a villain who has electricity powers, and most of those were actually done in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With that in mind, poor old Max Dillon is likely to remain on the shelf for a very long time to come.

1. Venom

At some point over the next few years, it's inevitable that Spider-Man will cross paths with Venom.

That's more than likely what Kevin Feige was referring to when he talked about Spidey being able to cross between worlds, and when Peter Parker does meet up with Eddie Brock, it will be in the SPUMC rather than the MCU. Chances are that crossover will be a memorable one, but many fans remain disappointed that it won't be Feige and Jon Watts in charge when it happens.

In an ideal world, Peter would have returned from Titan with an alien Symbiote. Unfortunately, that's not how things went following the release of Venom in 2018, so what will be will be!

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things

Recommended For You:

SPIDER-MAN Star Zendaya Reveals How Tom Holland Playing Peter Parker Got Them Out Of A Speeding Ticket

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

11 Comments

tmp3 - 5/4/2020, 7:28 AM

We're more likely to see all of these characters than we are to see Uncle Ben, who somehow wasn't on this list lol.

Marvelouspoorg - 5/4/2020, 7:42 AM

Terrible list. No goblin? that's like no joker in a batman franchise. Possible for like a trilogy, but a lasting universe? And we have already confirmed that Miles exists, and that gwen is possible.

SpideyPuffsMJ - 5/4/2020, 8:04 AM

Mostly everyone was so excited to finally see Spider-Man interact with the other Marvel characters, but if this deal ends and we never see Norman Osborn, Black Cat or Octavius in the MCU, that [frick]ing sucks. I think there is a lot more fine print in the Sony-Marvel deal that could be red-taping Marvel from re-treading on Sony's ground.

Hence why, 'MJ', Aunt May, no previously used villains, no Ben. Not a cop out, Marvel needs to return to the source material now that Tony is dead, but I'm curious why they can't even say 'Mary Jane' on screen. I saw a great video outlining some of the terms in the contract that may be controlling how different this Spidey iteration legally has to be. I enjoyed Homecoming and Far From Home, but if you go back and watch the Raimi movies, there's just no comparison man, those have stayed undefeated. We're still missing that special something.

Chewtoy - 5/4/2020, 8:28 AM

Josh seems to have a very different understanding of the Marvel/Sony partnership than I have. I don’t see any specific reason to hold back characters from Marvel... it’s not like it gives them ownership, or keeps Sony from using them in their own projects (hence the Vulture in Morbius.)

If Sony has specific designs for a character that are incompatible with Marvel’s ideas, then sure... but otherwise why wouldn’t Sony want a character they own to get the kind of exposure that would come from launching in an actual Spider-man film before spinning off on their own?

WeaponXCII - 5/4/2020, 8:53 AM

I’m sorry, but after so many of us thought we would never get Spider-Man himself in the MCU, any character appearing on a list like this is just hyperbolic nonsense.

ChrisRed - 5/4/2020, 9:38 AM

I'm still holding out hope that Holland-Peter will finally go to college in Spider-Man 4.
There, he and Flash would meet Gwen and Harry. Introduce Norman as the man-in-the-shadows main antagonist of the second trilogy and build him up slowly until he finally becomes Green Goblin in Spider-Man 6.

Spider-Man 4 and 5 could feature other classic villains like Doc Ock, Rhino, Chameleon, Scorpion (if he's not in SM3) or even a version of the Sinister Six.

bcom - 5/4/2020, 1:54 PM

Another meaningless list article. There was a time not that long ago where we were "NEVER" going to see Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four or the X-Men in the MCU and look where we are now. Spider-Man's already in it and the mutants and Marvel's first family are on the way.

RolandD - 5/19/2020, 1:28 PM

I know I am way late to this thread but I am bored. Green Goblin has bee been done across two franchises. You mean done poorly. I mean don’t get me wrong. Devane was great in the role, but the costume actually sucked and I didn’t want him to be a madman because of the serum, just really evil. The less said about the next two Goblins, the better.

Related Headlines

Spider-Man 2

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

JoshWilding

15 hours ago

Madame Web

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Spider-Man

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says "We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Related Headlines

Spider-Man 2

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

JoshWilding

15 hours ago

Madame Web

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Spider-Man

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says "We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things"

JoshWilding

1 day ago

Spider-Man

SPIDER-MAN Star Zendaya Reveals How Tom Holland Playing Peter Parker Got Them Out Of A Speeding Ticket

JoshWilding

2 days ago

No Way Home

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

JoshWilding

4 days ago

Spider-Man

Green Lantern

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

MarkJulian

6 hours ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97: Rogue Unleashes Her Rage In Action-Packed Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago

Latest Headlines

She-Hulk

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

MarkCassidy

10 mins ago

Green Lantern

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

MarkJulian

6 hours ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97: Rogue Unleashes Her Rage In Action-Packed Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago

Justice League (Animated)

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

JoshWilding

10 hours ago

Man of Steel

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

11 hours ago

Action

MONKEY MAN Now Available On Digital HD; Eddie Yang Talks Designing Dev Patel's Badass Monkey Mask (Exclusive)

RohanPatel

12 hours ago

Hot Headlines

267 comments

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

RohanPatel

1 day ago EST

130 comments

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

11 hours ago EST

90 comments

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

81 comments

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

MarkCassidy

12 hours ago EST

81 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, Bright Eyes

More Cartoons & Animated ►

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

More Anime & Manga ►

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To Pussy Island In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Finn Balor Has Reportedly Signed Big Money Deal To Remain In WWE Despite Interest From AEW

More Pro Wrestling ►

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

SPIDER-MAN: 10 Characters We're NEVER Going To See In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

There's a lot of excitement surrounding the next Spider-Man movie, but there are some characters we're confident won't ever join Tom Holland's wall-crawler in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Check it out...

10. The Lizard

9. Captain George Stacy

8. Black Cat

7. The Kingpin

6. Gwen Stacy

5. Sandman

4. Miles Morales

3. Green Goblin

2. Electro

1. Venom

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says "We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things"

SPIDER-MAN Star Zendaya Reveals How Tom Holland Playing Peter Parker Got Them Out Of A Speeding Ticket

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says "We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things"

SPIDER-MAN 2 Returns To Theaters - Here's How Its Box Office Compares To Last Week's SPIDER-MAN Re-Release

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

SPIDER-MAN 4 Update Shared By Tom Holland; Says "We Want To Make Sure We're Not Overdoing The Same Things"

SPIDER-MAN Star Zendaya Reveals How Tom Holland Playing Peter Parker Got Them Out Of A Speeding Ticket

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

SPIDER-MAN 4: Here's The Latest On Marvel Studios' Hunt For A Director (And Who ISN'T In The Mix)

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: 7 Biggest Easter Eggs, Reveals, And Spoilers In The New Trailer

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumor Points To Larger Roles For Two Particular Characters - SPOILERS

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

X-MEN '97: Rogue Unleashes Her Rage In Action-Packed Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

SUPERMAN: Nathan Fillion On Why He's Perfectly Suited To Play GREEN LANTERN Guy Gardner

X-MEN '97: Rogue Unleashes Her Rage In Action-Packed Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Spoilers: Batman Beyond Disappoints But Stage Is Set For Epic PART 3

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

MONKEY MAN Now Available On Digital HD; Eddie Yang Talks Designing Dev Patel's Badass Monkey Mask (Exclusive)

Hot Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Official Trailer Features Ultimate Team-Up & Promises The Wildest MCU Movie Of All-Time!

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Seemingly Takes Shot At Hollywood Producer: "Sorry For Having Great T**s"

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Every Major Marvel Cameo In The New Trailer - Possible SPOILERS

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

Jennifer Lopez Battle An A.I. Simu Liu In New Trailer For Netflix's ATLAS

REBEL MOON: Zack Snyder Says Director's Cuts Are "More Like A Parallel Universe Than An Extended Version"

Daisy Ridley Teases The Different STAR WARS Film That Will Hopefully Be A "New Adventure"

Zack Snyder's Animated Norse Mythology Series TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Will Be Released This Fall

DUNE: PART TWO Star Rebecca Ferguson On DUNE: MESSIAH - "I'd Love To See Timothée Turn Into A Worm"

Cartoons & Animated Features

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, "Bright Eyes"

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS - PART 2 Is Likely To Disappoint Fans Of BATMAN BEYOND - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Former Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Series Will "Touch On" Mr. Sinister's Racism

BIG HERO 6 Producer Reveals Why We STILL Haven't Got A Sequel To Disney Animation's Marvel Movie

KNUCKLES Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed Along With New Clip Featuring Sonic And Tails

Ella Purnell Says ARCANE Season 2 Will Be Incredibly Tragic As Netflix Preps The Series For Annecy Reveal

Gaming

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Comedy Central Orders 10-Episode GOLDEN AXE Animated Series From Mike McMahan And Joe Chandler

FALLOUT Season 2 Will Feature One Of The Game's Most Iconic Monsters

FORTNITE Will Now Let You Block "Confrontational Emotes"

Anime & Manga

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Netflix's PARASYTE: THE GREY Is Now Streaming; Here's What The Critics Are Saying

MY HERO ACADEMIA Tops X-MEN '97, INVINCIBLE And More In Social Media Engagement

Horror

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary

Happy 4/20! Check Out The Red Band Trailer For New Stoner Horror Movie TRIM SEASON

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

Action Movies & TV